Quick Black Bean Sliders with Cilantro Sauce
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 large cloves garlic
2 large scallions, roughly chopped
A small handful cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 large red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans, divided
1 large farm egg or flax egg*
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut oil as needed for cooking (more…)
Wether your in a chilly climate in just the first days of spring or in South Florida, this recipe is the perfect meal. If you need to warm up, this a the healthier way to excite the palate and feel indulgent. If you are like me- in humid Miami, then it is tomato and eggplant season and the bounty is at your finger tips. Either way this sauce is a new fave for The Naked Bite, pretty sure that it will be yours too!
Handmade gifts go a long way (especially the edible kind), and are a much nicer gesture than a gift card, specifically for the Winter Holidays or Valentine’s Day (though I am a HUGE fan of receiving a gift card :). They are inexpensive and thoughtful and if you pick less complex recipes, will not take that much time. These chocolate cherry pistachio bon bons are quick, delicious, vegan and gluten free and paleo…viola! Oh and they’re great just as a gift to yourself as well!
Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bon Bons
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk, full fat
1-2/3 cup shelled pistachios, divided
1 cup dried cherries
1 inch square piece ginger, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 unsweetened flaked coconut
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
A good pinch of Himalayan salt
Makes about 30
Last Sunday I did an open house at Teena’s Pride farm. I just love, love, love basking in all the glory of such fantastically fresh and delicious produce! It is so easy to make it taste good…it already does! Much of the produce that we buy at the grocery stores are more than a week old (if not older, especially if it is from another country) and losing flavor and nutrients by the minute. This is a fantastic reason to get on board with a CSA (community supported agriculture) or to regularly visit your local farmers market.
This salad was the inspiration that came from the incredible bounty at Teena’s, easy, light, and uber fresh…perfect for the new year. You could also just blend all of the ingredients and make an Asian style gazpacho…yum!
Tomato Cucumber Salad with Sesame Oil & Lemongrass
INGREDIENTS:
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
4 small Persian cucumbers, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
(or 1/2 English cuke cut into half moons)
1 teaspoon salt
2+ Tablespoons Umeboshi plum vinegar*
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1+ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey (local preferred)
2 teaspoons very finely chopped lemongrass (optional)
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1/4 packed fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste
Serves 4
DIRECTIONS:
Place the tomatoes and cucumbers in a salad bowl and add the 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss gently and allow to sit for 15-30 minutes lightly tossing on occasion. This will allow the natural liquid to seep out (allowing for maximum flavor from dressing).
After this time has passed; drain off the escaped liquid and reserve for another use.
Mix the vinegar, oils and honey, lemongrass and ginger together in a small bowl and pour over the veggies. Add the remaining ingredients, season lightly with salt and pepper (the umeboshi vinegar is quite salty so keep this in mind) and toss gently but completely. Taste and adjust oil and vinegar if needed. Serve immediately!
Tips & Notes~
*The Ume vinegar is a vegan option for fish sauce, although it has more tang as fish sauce is mostly salty. Use this is Asian dishes as a vegan alternative. It is also amazing in partnership with other vinegars in all sorts of recipes. I just LOVE this stuff!
I found the inspiration for recipe through a really amazing foodie website called Food 52. The pics are to die for and the recipes are mouthwatering. Bread gets a bad rap these days…sad to say. This bread however is healthy, gluten free, easy and ridiculously deelish. I have made a few tweaks but it is basically the same and totally worth the short time it takes to make it!
Gluten Free Powerhouse Bread
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2
cup rolled oats (gluten free if this is a concern)
1
cup raw sunflower seed kernels (not in the shell)
1/2
cup chia seeds
1/2
cup nut of your choice
4
Tablespoons psyllium husks*
2
Tablespoons ground flax seeds
1
teaspoon Himalayan salt
1-1/2
cups room temperature water
3
Tablespoons melted coconut oil
1
Tablespoon maple syrup or honey
Makes 1 loaf
DIRECTIONS:
Line a silicon loaf pan or a standard loaf pan with parchment. In a medium mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk water, coconut oil and maple syrup together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated, if the dough is too thick and hard to stir, add one or two tablespoons of water until the dough is manageable.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let the loaf sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it or lift the parchment.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place the loaf in the parchment directly on the rack and bake for another 30 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing.
Store in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. This bread freezes well also – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!
Tips & Notes~
Add some dried cranberries, raisins or other chopped dried fruit.
Caraway seeds and some caramelized onions are also a nice addition to make a rye-flavored bread.
*Psyllium husk can be found online or in the supplement area of most grocery stores.
Everyone loves portable food, especially these days. These salad rolls wrapped with Asian rice paper wrappers are so easy to work with and can turn many different foods into a something that you can take on the go. Fill them with just about any kind of salad or cooked veggie and even add some protein and VIOLA…a meal on the go!
Pear and Fennel Salad Rolls with Toasted Walnuts
Ingredients:
5oz of mixed greens or arugula (1 bag)
1 medium ripe pear or apple, cored and sliced thinly
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dill, roughly chopped (optional)
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped*
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Asian rice paper wrappers as needed**
For the Dressing:
1+ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
Servings varied depending on how big you make the rolls.
Directions:
Place all ingredients for salad up to the wrappers, into a large bowl. In a small bowl; whisk the vinegar, mustard and olive oil together and pour over the salad. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Taste and adjust the vinegar and seasoning if needed.
Fill a wide bowl filled with a few inches of room temperature filtered water. Have a clean cutting board or counter (preferably wood or plastic) in front of you and the salad in arms reach.
Lightly oil a serving plate with olive oil and set next to the cutting board.
Dip the first rice paper in the water for about 8-10 seconds; making sure that every bit of the paper gets wet. Remove, shaking off the excess water and lay the wrapper on the cutting board in front of you.
Starting at the edge closest to you; place a good handful of the salad on the paper in a horizontal shape but not going all the way to the edges. The wrapper will begin to soften as you do this.
When the paper feels pliable; pick up the end of the wrapper closest to you with your thumb and forefinger and fold tightly over the salad and then fold in the sides. Do not let go and continue to roll using your pinky fingers to continue to tuck the sides in so that nothing is poking out. Roll until the end wraps around and sticks to the outside the paper. This may take a few attempts so have a few extra papers just in case.
Cut the finished rolls in half and place on the oiled serving plate. Repeat until you have used all of the salad. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Tips & Notes~
This salad works well with pretty much any kind of nut.
You can use these wrappers with all kinds of salad, they make a great portable meal or a party appetizer.
*To toast the nuts~ Spread them on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake at 325 degrees until the nuts are toasted and fragrant, about 7 to 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool, and then coarsely chop.
**The rice paper wrappers are available in the ethnic section of many grocery stores or in an Asian market.
